


Preliminary Examinations

by LastHope



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Enemies at first sight, Gift Fic, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-21 19:54:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8258494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LastHope/pseuds/LastHope
Summary: Piloting assignments at the Garrison aren’t as straightforward as they seem. You don’t just put in an application asking for a specific position, there’s an entire written exam, flight test, among others. The whole exam takes place over a five-day period, where other Garrison placement testing takes place. It’s here that two pilots meet for the first time.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flyingisland](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flyingisland/gifts).



**Two Years, Six Months Before**

When Lance applies to the Garrison for a position as a pilot in training, he doesn’t know quite what he is getting into. Honestly, he has always thought being able to fly was hella rad, and it’s definitely something he has always wanted to do. Of course, it doesn’t hurt when some of the girls at his high school say that there’s nothing hotter than a Garrison pilot. So, when members of the Garrison came to his high school to scout recruits, Lance doesn’t even think about hesitating when he puts his name in for more information and an application.

“Wow, you’re really excited about joining the Garrison, aren’t you?” One of the members at the table says during the conversation. He’s a younger member of the Garrison, somewhere between two and four years older than Lance maybe, he’s not sure. He does remember that the guy said he had recently graduated but with the Garrison it doesn’t mean anything. The guy has a wicked cool undercut though, and a weird salt-and-pepper thing going on with his hair, where the underside is black and the top is white. (Okay, so it had been kinda meh to Lance, but the girls had seemed into it, so he had been willing to give it props.) He has rocking biceps, and Lance is pretty willing to bet that the abs that go with are probably a solid rock-hard six-pack. Something to look forward to, definitely.

Plus, he has a foreign name – Yashiro? Tashiro? Shiroma? – and has been willing to talk to Lance at length about the Garrison’s inclusivity initiative and, the words Lance knew his Mamá would love to hear when he goes home and tells her everything, –

“Yeah, especially with the chance for the scholarship,” Lance agrees. “The Garrison’s not something I could do regularly if it wasn’t for that, ya know?”

“Yeah.” The Garrison member agrees with a short nod as Lance picks up his stuff. Lance gives the guy and his friend a short wave and then heads back to class.

– a scholarship for minorities. And yeah, Lance likes to think of himself as a _majority_ , especially with his grades placing him within the top 10 students of his year, but when it comes to ethnicity he has to hunker down and agree that, yeah, he _is_ a minority. Still, if he earns that scholarship, it will make going to the Garrison _so_ much easier; the costs of it would not be nearly as bad with it as it would should he have no financial support from them.

He fills out the application as soon as he gets home from school. Puts in his full name, makes a mark in the box stating he’s applying to be a pilot, and writes the one-page essay on how he would make a good addition to the Garrison ranks. Once he’s done, Lance puts everything into an envelope and sets it out with the mailbox for the mailman to pick up in the morning when she does her rounds.

Then, three weeks after he puts the application in the mail, Lance receives a letter, post marked as from the Garrison.

_Dear Lance McClain,_

It reads,

_We at the Garrison would like to congratulate you on your preliminary acceptance into the Garrison’s class of XX16! The next step of the application process if you’re still interested is to reserve your spot at the placement tests this summer. The placement tests are a week long process designed to test your intelligence, combat abilities, among other skills necessary for all positions at the Garrison. You are required to participate in all examinations even if they are not applicable to the position you applied to. These tests will determine any and all scholarship opportunities that will be afforded to you._

_The placement tests are scheduled to take place the week of June 15 th, tests lasting until June 20th. There is a deposit of $30 dollars required at time of reservation when you send in your acceptance for these placement tests. This is a non-refundable deposit, and should you not pass the placement tests it will not be returned to you. Your deposit may be refunded to you if you either cancel your reservation two weeks prior to the tests, or should a major emergency come up preventing you from attending the tests. Examples included are: a natural disaster preventing travel to the Garrison, or major medical treatment immediately prior to the exams. Please note that you will not be allowed to participate in the exams if you have major surgery or medical treatment within two weeks prior to the exam dates. If surgery is needed, please schedule it at least a month prior to the exams or in the days after it. If you already know of a conflict you have with the exam dates, please notify us when sending in your response and alternate testing dates will be afforded to you._

_Please fill out the declaration of intent slip below and mail it to the Garrison at the earliest opportunity. All declarations of intent are due by April 19 th at the latest. Any late declarations of intents will be disregarded and you will be required to reapply next semester._

_\-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --_

____ I no longer wish to be considered for a position at the Garrison_

____ I am attending the examinations from June 15 th to June 20th _

____ I cannot attend the examinations from June 15 th to June 20th but still wish to be considered  
       for a position at the Garrison_

_____________________ ______________________  
Applicant Signature                                             Parental Signature_

Naturally, Lance fills it out immediately, declaring his intent to attend the examinations in June, signing his name with a flourish. His Mamá, however, is not so excited at the prospect as she reads the letter.

“Exams, _mijo_?” She frowns at the letter as if staring at it long enough will make it change its wording. “I know you are very intelligent, but if the exams are as inclusive as this letter makes it sound, they’ll have parts on every position the Garrison has – not just piloting. _Comunicación, ingeniería, estrategia,_ –” and on and on she goes, muttering in Spanish more to herself than Lance.

“Don’t sweat it Mamá,” He tells her when she is so fully immersed in Spanish that Lance no longer understands what she’s saying, or if she’s directing it at him or herself. “ _No me preocupa._ I’ll be fine, just watch!”

Lance gives her his most reassuring smile, and she relents.

“Aye, fine!” She throws her hands up in the air. “ _Damela,_ I will sign it for you.” Lance passes the pen he’s been holding to her, and his Mamá signs her full name on the small line provided.

“Now, set the table,” Lance is commanded. “Your sisters and Papá will be home soon, and dinner is almost ready.”

“ _Sí,_ Mamá,” Lance grins, rubbing the back of his head, before also saying, “ _Muchas gracias.”_

“ _De nada, mijo_ ,” She smiles back, before shooing him off to the kitchen. As Lance heads into the kitchen, he hears the front door open.

“ _¡Cariño!”_ His Mamá shouts, and Lance knows that it’s his father at the door. _“¡Nunca adivina lo que su hijo haga en junio!”_

_“¿Qué hace Lance?”_ Papá asks, and though Lance can’t see his face, he’s sure that his Papá’s chest is swelling with the same pride that his is.

Now, he just has to follow through with that pride, and ace the examinations and earn that scholarship to the Garrison.

It’s going to be a long five months.

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday flyingisland! This is part 1 of your birthday gift. Ideally this should be wrapped up in 10 chapters at most, but we'll see lol. 
> 
> Spanish is my second language, so if you're a native speaker this might come off as super formal maybe? Or just plain wrong, idk. If you have more effective phrasing please let me know!
> 
> Translations:
> 
> Mijo - My son
> 
> No me preocupa. - Don’t worry about me.
> 
> Comunicación, ingeniería, estrategia, - Communication, engineering, strategy
> 
> Damela - Give me it (the pen)
> 
> Sí - Yes
> 
> Muchas gracias - Thank you
> 
> De nada - You’re welcome
> 
> ¡Cariño! ¡Nunca adivina lo que su hijo haga en junio! - Dear! You’ll never guess what your son is doing in June!
> 
> ¿Qué hace Lance? - What is Lance doing?


End file.
